Living in the Shadows
by Habit
Summary: Hinata has been living in her sister’s shadow for years. When Sakura comes to her with a position in the ANBU’s new unit, she gladly accepts. As she becomes stronger, she can’t help but wonder what a certain fox-grinned ninja will think about her. LEMON!


**A/N: This is actually the second in the AMC arc, and I finished AFTER the third one. Funny, yes, but I STARTED it before, so there. BTW, don't own naruto or the characters, just the AMC and the plot. ENJOY!**

* * *

Living in the Shadows

Hinata was walking down the hall to Sakura's office in headquarters when a scream caught her attention. Unperturbed, she walked past the room and into Sakura's office. "Sakura-sama…I have my report from the last mission." she said gently. She noticed her boss wasn't there, so she put her report on the desk. She shook her head at the mess on her boss's normally immaculate desk. With a sigh, she started organizing small stacks of papers, until a name caught her attention.

"N-naruto…kun…" she said in a small voice. She shook her head and went back to stacking the papers. She had just set the last stack down when she heard a noise. She turned just in time to see Sakura coming in, her mask on. She bowed to Sakura, who took off the mask and sighed. She smiled at Hinata before sitting behind her desk. She carefully put her mask in the bottom drawer of her desk and locked it. She looked back up and noticed Hinata had been kind enough to stack the papers that had been strewn over her desk.

"How kind of you Hinata…that was really sweet." she smiled at the dark haired girl and then went rifling for something. "Oh, I have a mission for you. I know I usually send you with Dog and Mantis, but I have to send you with Raven and Kitsune for this one." Hinata nodded and waited for her assignment. Normally, Tsunade would be the one handing out missions, but Tsunade had promised the council she would not interfere with this new division.

"Sakura-sama…do you really think that the Allied Medical Corps will last?" Hinata asked out of the blue. Sakura laughed and shook her head.

"We are more feared than even the Hunter-nin. We are some of the strongest, most lethal ninja from our respective villages. Have you not noticed the drastic changes in the people I have recruited? In yourself?" Hinata blushed and looked down. She had noted it alright…but no one else seemed to have noticed. Sakura narrowed her eyes on the young woman.

"Hinata…we are medics. Medics do things in the background, unnoticed. We don't do it for glory or fame, we do it because if we don't, the villages will fall apart. I know you wish to prove yourself just as capable as Hanabi, but don't you think your being here, me asking you as one of the first people to join, means that I see something in you? I didn't ask Hanabi…I won't ask her either. For all her skills, she glories in the attention she gets for it. There is power in secrecy…in being unknown." Hinata thought over Sakura's words and smiled. She nodded at her boss.

"Hai…Sakura-sama. I understand." She bowed her head, her long blue-black hair hanging around her face. She wore the conventional Medic Corps uniform, which had been designed, ironically, by Jiraiya. The top was a little tighter on her, considering she was a little larger breasted than most of the woman, except Sakura, who had taken on more qualities of her instructor than either had anticipated.

Luckily, Tsunade's laziness and love for sake and gambling had not rubbed off on her student. Sakura only drank occasionally and when she did, it was in moderation. She didn't gamble with her money, stating she gambled with her life and that was enough for her. She couldn't be lazy, otherwise the Uchiha might try and make babies with her.

Hinata winced when she recalled Sakura's reaction to the Uchiha's statement that all she was good for was making babies. She rubbed her arm and unconsciously looked out the door, where there was a human sized hole that had yet to be patched. Sakura's temper had been especially foul that day, and the Uchiha had only made it worse.

On top of that, Sasuke had no real knowledge of what the Allied Medical Corps was really about. Sakura knew that it was a way for them to monitor the medical advancements of the other villages. It was a way for ALL the villages to observe, learn, and utilize. With Orochimaru dead, the Sound village had fallen apart…until a promising young clan had taken over and built it into a small, yet respectable, shinobi village.

She and Sasuke had gone rounds when it was recommended forming an alliance with the new leaders of Sound. However, with her political sway, Sasuke had lost. When he had confronted her about not supporting him, she had told him that just because Orochimaru had considered them enemies, didn't mean Konoha had to. Her answer had stunned him and she had merely walked away. Hinata knew that Sakura separated her personal anger with Sasuke from what she felt was best for the village. Not everyone saw it that way…especially the men.

"As I was saying, Raven and Kitsune will be going on this mission with you. Dog is in the hospital after his last mission with extensive injuries and Ino will be taking care of him. Mantis was needed by our Hunter-nin…seems a group of insect users have trained their bugs to ingest brain matter and transfer secrets that way." Hinata noticed the disgusted scowl on Sakura's face and knew how she felt. It was pretty sick either way you looked at it.

"What is the mission, Sakura-sama?" She noticed that Sakura was smiling at her. Sakura always smiled at the women of her division. They were like a sorority of sorts…only without the reputation. All of the women had been honing their skills in medicine, taijutsu, ninjutsu…and most especially, genjutsu. Hinata herself was the only one that concentrated more on medicine and taijutsu than on the other two. In reality, they all had their preferred techniques…ones that were their signatures and almost completely untraceable.

"You will be going to Sound…as an emissary. I want you to observe very closely Hinata. Watch them as if they are the enemy. I want to know everything there is about this new clan that has appeared. While I don't agree with Sasuke, I do not want to invite an attack either. Before we agree to make them allies and give them access to our knowledge, I want to know if they have hidden motives. I will need you to use _that_ technique." Hinata looked at the floor, understanding exactly what was being said.

Hinata's purpose in going was to determine if the newly reformed Sound Village could be trusted. Hinata nodded, her eyes determined. "Hai, Sakura-sama. I will not let you down." Hinata was about to turn to leave when there was a knock at the door. Sakura's eyes narrowed and she signaled Hinata to put on her mask. The Hyuuga girl pulled on the elegant white and royal blue butterfly mask and stood by Sakura's shoulder, holding stacks of papers. Sakura grunted for the person to enter.

With an arrogant swagger, Hanabi and her father entered. Sakura made no offer for them to sit, but the Hyuuga male took a seat in front of her regardless. He gave Hinata, in the guise of just another medic under Sakura's command, a disdainful look. "Leave us." he said. Out of habit, Hinata started to leave.

"Kochou…I did not dismiss you from your post. Return immediately." Hinata's head snapped to attention and she returned to Sakura's side immediately. Her father, Hiashi, glared at her and then at Sakura.

"I wish for her to leave. I do not need your underlings to hear what I am going to discuss with you." Hinata could feel the familiar tightening in her chest as shame crept up her spine. Her father didn't even recognize her…

Sakura narrowed her eyes on the Hyuuga male and stood, her hands on her desk. "With all due respect, Hyuuga-_san_, this is _my _office, which is in _my _building that is the headquarters for _my_ medics. So forgive me if I don't really give a damn what you want or need." Hanabi looked shocked, as did Hiashi. Sakura sat back down, her eyes still bright with her anger.

"I have things to do and if all you are going to do is stare at me with your jaws lax, then please remove yourself. This is an organization with the same security clearances of ANBU. Bringing your uninitiated daughter into my compound could be misconstrued as a threat to my security, Hyuuga-san, so you'd best make your point fast, else I will have you escorted out of here." Hiashi cleared his throat and stood, holding his arms out to his youngest daughter.

"I wish for you to consider Hanabi for a position in your ranks. She is intelligent, talented, strong-" he was cut off when Sakura arched a brow and spoke over him.

"And arrogant." Sakura saw the offended look on the faces of both father and daughter. Sakura leaned forward, her fingers laced in front of her face. "Hyuuga-san…do you know the purpose of a medic?" Hiashi looked offended.

"Of course I do. A medic is to ensure that her team is always healthy." Sakura shook her head and sighed as she sat back.

"A medic's job is to ensure the safety of those in their unit. Medics fight with the single minded purpose of protecting their patients, their comrades and their selves. What I look for when I recruit someone for my team isn't natural ability. That's too easy. Everything they have has been handed to them. Look at the Uchiha. His skill is natural…he was born with it. Look where that has him today. Now look at Uzumaki. For all his loudness and lack of intelligence, he has had to work for the power he has gained. He knows what failure is, but he learns from it." Sakura laced her fingers in front of her face once more, contemplating the two.

"Without hard work and dedication, there can be no appreciation. If you do not appreciate what you have and show pride in what you achieve, nothing is important to you. When nothing is important to you, you lose focus of your purpose. Without a purpose, you become apathetic. This organization was founded on the principals of compassion, allegiance…and secrecy." Hiashi arched a brow at her.

"Much like our sister organization, the things we do are classified. We perform S-ranked missions, sometimes ones even ANBU can not handle. We are sent out as healers, hunters, and assassins. The Allied Medical Corps is also a way for ties between the villages to become stronger with the knowledge that we are sharing our medics and our medical knowledge with other villages. In a sense, we are proving we do not hold ourselves in higher regard than our sister villages. Another aspect of the Medic Corps is that we exist in the shadows. While other people are basking in the glory, we are in the background, getting things done in secret. THAT is the main reason that I have not, and will not, consider your daughter for a position." Hiashi looked furious.

"What is that supposed to mean!?" he growled as he slammed his hands down on her desk. Hinata saw something flash through Sakura's eyes and she was instantly on her feet, standing nose to nose with the leader of the Hyuuga clan.

"It means that, like her father, she thinks too highly of herself. She would not be content to stand in the background and let others take the glory. She would want to show off, be arrogant, and boast about her abilities. The main reason we at the Medical Corps get things done is because _we_. _don't_. _exist_." Hinata stood there, awed that her boss would call her father arrogant to his face. Hiashi glared a little longer before he could no longer look the young woman in the eyes. He pulled away and turned his back on her.

"You will not take Hanabi, but you will take Hinata…why?" Hinata stiffened at the bitter note in her father's voice. Shame crept up her spine again. Sakura noticed the stiffness of her friend and glared at the man.

"Because unfortunately, Hinata already knows what its like to stand in the background, unnoticed. She's been living in the shadows her entire life, while her own father has showered her prodigy of a sister with infinite praise. Hinata is humble where Hanabi is vain. Hinata gets things done, when they need to be done, and she has no problem with keeping her mouth shut about her accomplishments. And Hinata is compassion itself. I sit here and I can see the aloofness in Hanabi. She cares for nothing but power and using any means to gain it." Sakura turned her gaze on the glaring Hanabi, who blushed and looked away, a petulant look on her face. Sakura could see what Hanabi was thinking, as it was written all over her face.

"You have something to say to me, little Hyuuga? Wish to defend yourself against my _unfair_ accusations?" her voice was sarcastic, her emerald eyes snapping fire. Hanabi glared and stood straight, her nose in the air.

"I find it disgraceful that one such as you would turn away true talent. Then again, you had no talent growing up, so I guess it's only natural that you would seek others like yourself." Hinata did gasp this time. She took a step back from her boss, watching with terrified eyes. A sadistic smile came over Sakura's face.

"No talent, huh, little girl? You want to see the talent I had at your age?" Hinata reached out to calm her boss, but the girl threw up her hand. "Kochou. Come with me. We will show little miss prodigy what hard work is really about." Hinata gulped and nodded, putting her papers down and following her boss obediently. Hanabi followed, her arms crossed over her chest. Hiashi followed after his youngest child.

Sakura came to a room with a blue door. Hinata sighed and opened the door for her commander. Sakura walked in and instantly, things changed. Hanabi looked down and noticed she was ten again. She looked up and noticed that the woman with the butterfly mask was not in the room. She stayed just outside, observing. Sakura, however, had reverted to her fifteen year old self. Her father had reversed in age as well. Hanabi looked around her.

"What is this place that it can send us back five years?" Hiashi asked, looking around. Sakura smirked, but answered cryptically.

"It's a memory chamber. This is actually one of my interrogation rooms. You should feel honored…usually when people come into this room…they don't go back out alive." Sakura noted both of the Hyuugas in the room stiffened. Sakura nodded and signaled to Hinata. "Kochou…start it." Hanabi noticed the woman nod and hold her hands up to her face. Suddenly, there was mist everywhere. Hanabi couldn't see a thing, not even her father, who was only a few paces from her. Suddenly, she felt a chakra spike. She looked around and found all the mist swirling into a general direction.

Hanabi watched as the mist swirled in a tornado-like motion towards a glowing figure. Hanabi's eyes widened as she noticed that the figure was Sakura, who was forming hand seals. Suddenly, the mist stopped swirling and hundreds of enemy ninja were surrounding them. Hanabi prepared to attack, but the ninja paid her no mind. Hanabi went to punch one and found she went right through him. Her eyes widened as she realized it was a genjutsu. A genjutsu that had been cast on Sakura.

In a muffled voice, the masked figure named the jutsu. "Shadow Jutsu: Endless Clone Tide." Hanabi watched as the ninja attacked Sakura, who punched the ground once. The ground beneath their feet exploded, sending rocks and dust everywhere. The ninja disappeared, but suddenly, more took their place. Hanabi heard Sakura laugh. "Bring it!" Hanabi watched the pink haired woman use hand to hand combat, easily defeating another wave of enemies. More ninja appeared and Sakura smiled again, her hands forming seals.

"Poison Sphere!" Sakura yelled and threw her arms out. A sickly green ball encased her and Hanabi watched as more ninja fell to the sphere. The waves stopped, and suddenly they were on a battle field. There were hundreds of injured Konoha ninja, begging for someone to heal them. Hanabi watched as Sakura walked to each, laid her green encased hands on them. Hanabi watched as, one by one, the people were healed…even the worst cases. There was one that was so far gone that his heart had stopped beating. Sakura put her hand on his chest, right above his heart, and muttered something.

Hanabi saw a jolt go through the man and his eyes popped open, his lungs gasping for air. After ten minutes, all the wounded were healed. Hanabi was so enthralled that she didn't notice Sakura forming hand seals. Hanabi could feel her eye lids getting heavy. She shook her head and turned to say something to her father, only he wasn't there. Suddenly, she was standing in the middle of town. She looked around to find her father, but he was nowhere. She tried talking to people, but they ignored her. She screamed at the top of her lungs, but people went around like she didn't exist.

A haunting voice floated to her ears. "This is the life your sister has lived since birth. Always there, but no one ever seeing her. This is the life of one of my medics. You are never seen…never heard…never acknowledged. Think long and hard before you ask to join my team…you can not turn back once you commit yourself. And if you ever betray us…" Hanabi was now in front of a mirror. She watched as the her in the other side of the mirror fought against masked people dressed much like the woman at the door. Suddenly, the her fighting in the mirror had her head cut off. "We will silence you."

Hanabi screamed and fell to the floor. She didn't want this…it wasn't worth it. She suddenly felt hands on her shoulders, shaking her. She had tears in her eyes when she looked up into the concerned eyes of her father. Hanabi threw herself into her father's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Hiashi looked surprised, until he saw Sakura standing before him, her eyes emotionless. "The life of a medic is hard…she is not the right material for it, Hiashi. She didn't even realize I had her in a genjutsu until you touched her." Hiashi looked down at his terrified daughter. They were back to their appropriate ages, and Hanabi's fifteen year old form was shaking like a scared ten year old. He sighed and shook his head.

Sakura narrowed her eyes on him. "You can not blame her for being afraid. What I showed her was her greatest fear. Everyone fears something. I have learned to exploit those fears. If I had wanted to, I could have left her comatose." Hiashi glared up at her, but the look in her eyes was unforgiving. "Do not glare at me like this is _my_ fault. I merely showed her what she was afraid of. YOU are the one that created the fear." Hiashi choked and looked down at his small daughter. Her long black hair hanging in her face as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"She fears that you will do the same to her that you did to Hinata should she ever displease you. She fears people ignoring her, acting like she doesn't exist. She fears being invisible." Hiashi opened his mouth and shut it several times. He then looked down at his daughter before he nodded and picked the girl up, her arms wrapping around his neck, seeking comfort. Hinata ached to comfort her sister, but she dared not…not with her father here.

"I see…I guess I have not always done right by my eldest daughter." Sakura snorted, but said nothing. Hiashi frowned and looked at Sakura. "Despite what you think, Haruno-san, I am very proud of the progress Hinata has made. However, she has done so on her own, without seeking the help of her clan. It is hard to observe her improvements when she refuses to train in the compound." Sakura laughed and shook her head. She then looked up at Hiashi, who was frowning even more.

"Hyuuga-san…you can make all the excuses in the world as to why you have not told Hinata that you are proud of her. I don't really care. However, have you ever thought that maybe you should be proud of her just because she's your daughter?" She noticed Hiashi's surprised face. She shook her head. "Your daughter is a wonderful person Hiashi…both your daughters are. Hinata has worked her ass off to gain any type of recognition from you, but you were too blind to see it." Hiashi bowed his head, shame on his face.

"Perhaps you are right, Haruno-san. I will take my leave now." Hiashi carried his youngest daughter to the door, but the woman with the butterfly mask stopped him. She held up one hand, asking silently for permission. Hiashi narrowed his eyes, but he nodded anyways. The woman put her hand on Hanabi's brow and the girl instantly relaxed, her cries quieted to sniffling. Hiashi was surprised and bowed in thanks. The woman bowed as well and then moved out of the way.

When they were gone, Hinata removed her mask, her face sad. "Was there no other way, Sakura-sama?" She heard a sigh and looked at her boss. The pink haired girl looked so tired.

"I'm afraid not, Hinata. Your father was hell bent on getting Hanabi in, despite my refusal. At least this way he will not seek to put her here again." Sakura walked up to her and looked at her. There were tears in the corner of Hinata's eyes. Sakura chuckled and put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "You are too soft Hinata-chan. It's a wonder you can do the things I ask you to." Hinata smiled sadly and looked down, then back up at her commander.

"Sakura-sama…you know I am only shy and gentle when I'm in the light." she said in a small, confident tone. Sakura smirked and nodded, understanding where she was coming from.

"I know, Hinata-chan. Raven and Kitsune will meet you at the gates. Dismissed." Hinata nodded and disappeared. Sakura stared at where her friend had just been and sighed. It was true that Hinata was kind and compassionate, but when the mask covered her features, she could be even more brutal than Sakura. Like Sakura, Hinata expected her team to listen and obey, no questions. If Hinata told them to cut their own throats, she fully expected them to. However, she'd never do something so heartless.

Sakura sighed and walked back to her office. She sat at her desk and opened the drawer with her red and black tanuki mask. Much like Hinata, Sakura's entire personality changed when she put on her Medic mask. Everyone assumed that, like her sensei, she stayed locked up in an office doing paperwork. In reality, she was the top assassin and hunter currently residing in The Allied Medical Corps. Her healing abilities were also unrivaled. Most people mistook her for her own apprentice when in her tanuki mask. That was fine with her, because that kept people from begging to be her apprentice. She sighed again and locked her mask back in the drawer. She started on the paperwork Hinata had been so kind as to organize on her desk for her.

* * *

Hinata looked over her room in the house she had bought on her eighteenth birthday. It was much smaller than the house she had grown up in, but she had told her father that in order to become a better ninja, she could no longer stay in the compound. Her father had fought, but in the end, Tsunade had approved her request, sans her father's opinion. She liked the closeness of her home, the order. No one came in her home unless invited by her and no one disturbed her without calling first.

Her home was furnished in cool blues and off-whites. She looked over at her pack sitting on her table and sighed. She needed to hurry and pack. She was supposed to be going as an emissary, so it would not look good to go in her Medic gear. She packed an extra set of her Medic gear and some black clothing, just in case. She pulled her long blue-black hair up into an intricate updo and put an assortment of hair jewelry in it. She put on a mid thigh, intricately designed white kimono with long blue sleeves that hung down to her shins. She had on blue high heeled shoes, much like the ones Sakura and the other kunoichi wore, and wrapped her head band around her waist, folding her blue obi over it to conceal it.

Content with her state of dress, she looked into the mirror and concentrated on her physical appearance. A pulse went through her, and when she looked at herself once more in the mirror, she had grey-blue eyes and flat black hair. She went over to her pack and finished packing her extra clothing and the weapons she may or may not need, including a scroll that was sealed almost fifteen times. Gripping the scroll tightly, she placed it inside her kimono for safe keeping. She sighed and walked out her door, locking it behind her.

She quickly and quietly made her way over to the gates, where her escorts were waiting. As she arrived, she could hear them bickering. She looked at the human shaped white mask with a blue design curling around the right eye and put it on. She was supposed to be unknown to them, and vice versa. However, she could not mistake those voices. It was Sai and Naruto. The idea of doing a mission with Naruto excited her, as well as scared her. Regardless, only she could complete this mission, and if they were the only two available at the moment, she'd have to cope.

With a sigh, she walked up to them. Pulling out a scroll with Sakura's seal on it, she cleared her throat. They didn't even stop arguing to acknowledge her. Irritated by their lack of alertness, she decided to show them what happened when you let down your guard around the 'Butterfly of Shadows'. She made a hand seal and, suddenly, she melted into the shadows. Little blue dots appeared, very reminiscent of ghosts. Both males stared in abject horror.

When Hinata was sure she had their attention, she walked out of the shadows and snapped her fingers, breaking the genjutsu they were in. Both stumbled back from her, though neither understood why. They both saw her unique mask and looked her over for a hiate-ate, but they found none. She held up the mission scroll from Sakura. Naruto gently took it from her hands and bowed. She blushed lightly behind her mask. She watched with amusement as both ANBU men looked over the scroll and then looked at her.

"You're Kumorino Cho? The Allied Medical Corps's emissary to the newly reformed Village of Sound?" Hinata couldn't help but smile at the name Sakura had given her. It was a new twist on an old alias. She nodded and pointed at her wrist. Both men seemed to understand and they started walking out the gates. Just outside the village, Hinata took to the trees, traveling quickly and quietly. She could hear her escorts conversing quietly.

"I've never heard of anyone that goes by that name, have you Sai?" There was a grunt and she knew that the black haired man was getting annoyed.

"It's most likely an alias, dickless. More likely than not one of the Hag's precious medics is under that mask." Sai's utter disrespect for Sakura had Hinata stopping in her tracks. Both men stopped when she did and regarded her.

"Is something wrong, Kumorino-san?" Naruto asked in a respectful tone. Hinata looked back at the two males, her eyes narrowed behind her mask.

"Say what you wish about me, artist, but if I ever hear you speak so disrespectfully of Sakura-sama again, I will show you why the Allied Medical Corps is so greatly feared. You will not speak of her again in my presence, do you understand?" Her voice was cold and held authority. Both men could tell she was used to being obeyed and would accept nothing less. Both nodded and she turned once more.

"And to answer your question, I am not a medic. My main function in the AMC is no concern of yours." She turned and faced them, her mask eerie in the waning light. "There are more than medics under the employ of Sakura-sama, and we would all give our lives for her. Be careful of how you speak of her, or you could find yourself in a very unfortunate situation." her voice was cold as ice, but also burned with her anger. Sai bowed and murmured an apology. Hinata then turned back towards their destination and took off, her irritation lending her speed.

She could hear Naruto hissing at Sai from their position behind her. "Way to go, asshole. Now you've pissed her off and she's going to run us both ragged. And you say I'm brainless. At least [now] I have a filter on what comes out of my mouth." Hinata giggled internally at that thought. Naruto? Having a filter? Right…that's about as likely as Sasuke confessing his undying love for Sakura. Hinata did chuckle at that…a dark, wicked sound that disturbed her two companions.

* * *

Hinata looked around the now prosperous looking Sound Village. Her mask was still firmly in place, as were her escorts' masks, and it was drawing attention from the locals. She noticed several Sound nin congregating and pointing at them. Deciding now was as good a time as any to start her investigation, she secretly did hand seals in her sleeves, all the while seeming like she was doing nothing at all. She breathed something out and she stopped. As she opened her eyes once more, she could see the entire environment in an entirely different light.

Unlike normal vision, she could see the swirling chakra points throughout the body. However, unlike her Byakugan, she could also read their emotions and intentions with this jutsu. The only problem was that it left her vulnerable. It was why she had an escort. However, with her status as a 'civilian' emissary, no one would think about her having two ANBU escorts. It would be seen as a political necessity. She looked at the group of women just to their left and noticed their interest in the three newcomers and the attraction the two younger felt for her companions.

With a grunt, Hinata looked over at the group of nin that had gathered and begun whispering. She could see their apprehension of having foreigners in their village. She also noticed one glowed brightly with arousal. She could only guess it was due to her current clothes. With a dismissive snort, she looked at a new group. This group had her full attention. They were intent on taking them in as intruders. Hinata straightened her shoulders and waited for their 'attempt'. She heard them walking over to them and spoke before they could.

"I know you are not going to take an emissary of the Allied Medical Corps as a prisoner. It would look very bad in Sakura-sama's eyes to have one of her liaisons treated in such a manner." she could see their hesitation, their confusion. She finally saw their defeat.

"Of course not. All allies are welcome in Sound." the man that spoke seemed older, like he'd been here a while. Hinata looked up at him and managed to glean a face. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a man in his mid forties. Hinata put her hands in her sleeves and stood there.

"Do not patronize me, old man. I know well your intentions when you spotted us. You reek of lies and fear." she heard the offended murmurs and noticed that the two younger ninja were going to attack her. Before they got the chance, she melted into the shadows that were all over the village. Even her two escorts seemed shocked. She appeared behind the old man, three senbon in her hand as she pointed it at the old man, only inches from his face. She could feel the shock from the younger two men. They looked at her from over their shoulders.

"If allies are welcome, why were those two about to attack me?" she said in a cold voice. She knew that these people would think her a psychic, but it would be easy for her to refute that. "I may not appear it, but I am very adept at reading body language, old man. Those two have a twitch in their hands that mean they want to attack me, but your rigid stance is what is keeping them at bay. You hold great status here, from the way the villagers are tensed up. Your posture suggests jonin, perhaps higher. You carry yourself with pride, I'm guessing that either you're the Sound Village's new leader, or perhaps an elder, maybe a councilman." The man made a grunting noise and waved his hand. She noticed that everyone relaxed.

"You are partially correct. I am an elder…I'm the new Otokage's father." Hinata narrowed her eyes and tried to glean more emotions from the man. He seemed somewhat sincere, but there was something off about him. Hinata put away her weapons and grunted.

"I apologize for my reaction, sir. However, in my line of work, a slow person is a dead person." the man nodded and looked her over. She could tell that he was trying to discern exactly what her status was. "I must also apologize for my lack of manners. I am Kumorino Cho, Emissary of the Allied Medical Corps." She bowed slightly, just enough to show respect, but not enough to leave her open to attack. She could tell from his chakra that he was narrowing his eyes on her.

"You fight like a ninja, but you have no hiate-ate. Are you even from Konoha?" Hinata smiled behind her mask and closed her eyes.

"I am an emissary, sir. I hold allegiance only to Sakura-sama. I learned to fight to survive, much like any other commoner in this day and age." She could tell the man didn't believe her, but that was alright…she didn't believe him either.

"If you hold no allegiance to Konoha, why the mask? Surely if you are truly an emissary of the great Haruno Sakura-sama, you will have no problems taking off your mask. A sign of good faith?" Hinata knew what he was doing. If she refused, he would call her a liar and have her imprisoned. If she removed her mask, he would know what her disguise looked like before she even reached the true leader.

However, Hinata had a trump card. She thanked Kami-sama that Sound Village was in the woods and provided her with plenty of cover. "A sign of good faith you say? Very well." she reached up and took her mask off. As she brought it down her face, she made signs with one had and blurred her appearance. The only thing startling clear were her grey-blue eyes. She noticed the man trying to get a better look at her.

"As you can see, our intentions are merely to discuss an alliance between the newly reformed Sound Village and the villages that honor the conditions of the Allied Medical Corps. I am also here to give you a demonstration of what we can offer you should you decide that you wish to join in our alliance." she could see the doubt in the man's chakra, but also the hope. She smiled at him and noticed his chakra become very calm. She had that affect on people when she smiled.

The man nodded and Hinata looked back at her escorts. "Let's go. And stop gawking, it's not like you weren't expecting this." she strapped her mask to the side of her head and followed the old man to where their leader was. She could hear an abundance of sounds in her current condition, her other senses were extremely keen in this state. She could hear the whispers of the people around them, smell the reek of fear and suspicion. Her skin prickled with the sense of being watched. Something was not right in this village, and she intended to find out what.

* * *

She found out very soon what was wrong with the Village. It's leader…was blind. Hinata's eyes narrowed as her special site picked up the green-blue aura of tranquility, but there was a blackness around his eyes. She immediately lowered her eyes and paid her respects. "Good evening, Lord Otokage-sama. I apologize for the sudden excitement caused by our visit. I assure you, this kind of excitement will not happen again." she watched his reaction and smiled when he waved it away.

"It is of no consequence. You are the emissary from Sakura-sama, are you not?" Hinata smiled and took his hand, writing something in his hand with her finger. He smiled and laughed, a hearty sound. "Very nice…you are the first to figure out without being told. My apologies for the deceit. However, in order to keep other villages from invading, I have to keep up the appearance that I am not incapacitated in any way." Hinata could see the truth from this young man. He seemed genuinely interested in only helping Sound out.

She turned her eyes to the young man's father, who radiated sadness. There was something the old man wasn't telling them. Several other elders also had auras suggesting they were not being forthcoming. She decided to stir things up a little. "I mean no disrespect, Lord Otokage-sama, but I was sent here to assess this village's trustworthiness. As you know, it's previous Kage was not someone that Konoha trusted. I am hoping that you are much different from him. As such, I need you to be completely honest with the questions I will be asking you." she felt the tension and several of the auras bled yellow…fear. One bled red…the father…she was angering him.

The youth turned to her and she noticed white speckles in the blackness around his eyes. Her own narrowed as she pumped more chakra into her eyes to try and discern what it was. She had to stifle her gasp as she realized they were scars. He hadn't been born blind, he'd been blinded by something…or someone.

Hinata looked back at Naruto and Sai. They looked rather uncomfortable. If their auras got any more orange, they'd die of awkwardness. The scars must be ugly. However, if most people had a hard time figuring out he was blind, he must have excellent compensation techniques. She looked back at the leader of Otogakure and smiled. All the auras around her instantly became a calm green-blue. "Lord Oto-" she was cut off when he chuckled and lifted his hand.

"Call me Yahiko. My title isn't official yet." Hinata stiffened. This wasn't good. If his position wasn't secure, there's no telling what would happen to him. She immediately looked at Naruto and Sai, who nodded.

"Yahiko-sama…it would be beneficial to get straight to business at this time. However, my companions are uneasy about something. I wish to speak with you in private, just the two of us. There are some questions that only the leader of the village should be privy to." she noticed the auras of two people flare immediately. One was a woman around her own age. Her aura turned black as soon as Hinata said that. That meant she was not trustworthy. The father's turned pink, concerned. The others were various shades of red…they were insulted. She didn't care. "I would also like to ask Yahiko-sama's father a few questions…in private." the old man's aura flared with yellows, pinks, blues, and reds. He was unsure…he was afraid, but of what she didn't know. He was concerned, and she had a feeling it had something to do with his son's blindness. He was flattered slightly, yet angry as well. His mixture of emotions had her smiling internally. Her own father often looked like this when confronted with something he was unprepared for.

"Of course, Kumorino-san. It would be my pleasure to answer any questions you feel the need to ask." Hinata saw the honesty in the pure blues and greens of the young man's aura. The older man agreed, but not as whole heartedly. She watched the insulted auras walk out, and then the black aura…the traitor. Hinata watched the woman as she walked out. She also noticed that both Naruto's and Sai's auras colored with red…hostility. There was something visibly disturbing about the woman apparently.

Hinata looked around, looking for more auras. When she was confident they were alone, she sent out a pulse. The pulse bounced back that they were not alone. The woman was down the hall, listening. Hinata held up her hand and melted into the shadows. She struck quickly, knocking the woman unconscious, and hauling her back to the conference room. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she could see normally. Her heart twisted when she saw the angry red welts on Yahiko's face. The blindness was within the last few months…

She hefted the woman off her shoulder and looked at her. She looked like Yahiko. Her heart twisted. "Is this your sister, Yahiko-sama?" she asked quietly. She noticed the shocked look on both Yahiko's face and his fathers.

"Y-yes…she is. What's going on Kumorino-san?" Hinata closed her eyes and did her jutsu again. When she opened her eyes, she could see confusion blatantly coloring both their auras, as well as hurt in the fathers. So…he'd suspected his daughter of treachery.

"Honorable father, what is your name, if it is not too much to ask?" she asked politely. The man looked up at her, then back at his daughter.

"Sano…Nikamoru Sano. That's my daughter, Hotaru. What's going on? Why is she unconscious?" she could see the dread that colored his aura and knew that he'd figured it out.

"How long have you suspected Hotaru was involved in Yahiko-sama's attack?" Surprise colored Yahiko's aura, but resignation colored Sano's.

"I first got suspicious when she brought that woman here. The woman offered us her allegiance, but Yahiko didn't trust her. He sent her away. Hotaru was furious. She said that it was just like a _man _to refuse a woman's help. She stomped out, muttering something." He looked at his son and then at his hands, which clenched into fists. "After he was attacked, she asked how a blind leader would benefit the village. I'd not told her he was blinded. Only the elders and myself knew." Hinata nodded and looked at them.

"I do not wish to press the matter, but this woman…who was she?" the man shrugged and shook his head.

"They called her Basha-sama. We don't know anymore than that. She said that she had a large force, between Konoha and Sound. Said she'd been capturing shinobi from different villages and 'acquiring' their techniques. She wanted us to join them, but Yahiko refused to threaten our new alliances." Hinata nodded and looked over her shoulder.

"Raven." she said quietly before turning back to Yahiko and Sano. "This information is vital to the safety of all the villages. I would like your permission to send Hotaru to Sakura-sama for further questioning." Sano nodded and looked at Yahiko, who had tears in his eyes.

"She's my baby sister, Kumorino-san…how…how could she do this? Why?" Hinata felt her heart wrench for the poor man.

"It's very possible she'd being mind controlled, Yahiko-sama." she said quietly and picked her up, handing her over to Sai. She leaned in and whispered to him. "Take her straight to Sakura-sama. If anyone tries to pass you, tell them you are under direct orders from the Butterfly of Shadows." Sai nodded and disappeared. Naruto looked at her and she lifted her chin towards the door. He understood and stood at the door, ensuring their privacy. "Yahiko-sama. From what I can see, the injuries that resulted in your blindness are recent, correct?" she noticed his sigh and he sat down, nodding.

"Yes, they are. Only three months. Right after I refused the alliance with that woman, a man snuck into my home and tried to kill me. Instead, he managed to slash my eyes. He got away, but I was still alive. Our local medics healed me as much as they could, but they couldn't save my eyesight." he sounded so forlorn that Hinata couldn't help but put her hand on top of his.

"Yahiko-sama…loosing your sight doesn't make you blind…it just means you use a different means to see. I'm sure you've noticed that your other senses are heightened. Sound, smell, taste, touch…they are all ways to 'see' without your eyes." she smiled gently as she saw happiness and acceptance color his aura.

"You are right, Kumorino-san. But I would still like to entreat the Allied Medical Corps to find a way to fix my sight. If nothing can be done, then I will resign myself to the life of a blind, I mean 'eyeless' man." he smirked and she couldn't help but giggle. She noticed awareness flare in Naruto's aura and she shook her head. There was no way he didn't know who she was now.

"It is good to exhaust all options before resigning oneself to a particular way of life. It is also good to rely on others as well. You may not realize it, but your people are worried about you, Yahiko-sama. The tension in the villagers was apparent when we arrived. They will not reject you because you were attacked by assassins. They will see how strong you are for continuing to work for their future despite such a substantial injury." she smiled and stood. She looked at Yahiko's father, who's aura was colored with guilt. She smiled at him. "Sano-sama, there is no way you could have known that this would happen. Now that it has, you must help your son find a way to fix it, or help him adjust to a new way of life. He needs you now, more than ever." she noticed the hope flare in the old man's aura and she smiled again before walking over to Naruto. She put her hand on his shoulder and whispered to him.

"Search the perimeter. If they attacked him once, they will try again. Report back if you find anything." Naruto nodded and gave her hand a squeeze. She could feel the smile he had in that squeeze. She smiled back and turned, her face lightly smiling and her eyes gentle. "Now, why don't we discuss where you want to head with the village and what the Allied Medical Corps can help you with." She smiled brightly when both men's auras flared with determination. She smiled and sat down, listening adamantly to their plans for the future.

* * *

Naruto was smirking. So, Hinata was the one under that mask. She'd hidden herself in order to keep her true identity a secret. He knew he wasn't supposed to know that, but he was pretty sure she knew who he was as well. She had called Sai to her…she'd _touched _him. He felt special, in some way, that she would touch him, but not Sai. He leapt into the trees and looked around him. He tried to do his job, but his mind kept wandering to Hinata. She was so different now than when they'd been kids. He knew part of it was because she'd gotten older, but the other part was because she was in the AMC now. He'd heard rumors about them.

Even ANBU showed their respect to the AMC medics. They were all quiet, reserved, respectful, and…deadly. To cross one of them was assured death. And because they worked in the shadows, no one would ever see anything. There would be no witness, no evidence, and no motive…they didn't externally express anger. They internalized it and let it power them in missions. And Sasuke had pissed off their leader…Haruno Sakura. For a while, Naruto had been sure she'd take her anger out of the Uchiha physically. However, she hadn't. She clenched her fists tight and walked away. That didn't mean she'd always done that. He could remember several times when Sasuke'd been dragged to the hospital because he'd crossed Sakura.

A twig snapped and he whirled, but it was too late. Something hit him in the face and knocked him out of the tree and plummeting to the floor. Stunned, he couldn't react. When he hit the forest floor, he cringed, fighting the darkness crowding his line of vision. Absently, he saw a pair of long legs, blonde hair, and heard the tinkling of bells.

* * *

Hinata was listening to the plans they had for Sound and was pretty impressed. She knew that the village couldn't really do any farming of their own, so they did errands for local farmers in return for a share of their crops. They had craftsmen build things and either sold them in large markets, or bartered for it. They'd had a few missions from lands that had no shinobi village, and had made a bit of money off that, and it was being used to fuel the economy. They were slowly attracting the attention of the local lords, whom had never used Orochimaru's services due to the fact he demanded experiment subjects as payment.

News of the new Kage was slowly spreading and, with the exposure, they were getting new clients. Hinata had proposed several things they had not thought of, but were delighted to try. They were discussing village hosted festivals when a Sound ninja ran in, out of breath.

"Otokage-sama…there's…trouble…" he panted and motioned to the outside. Hinata could see the panic in the shin obi's aura. She turned to Sano and Yahiko.

"It's time your people saw your strength, Yahiko." he nodded and pulled his hiate-ate from his arm and tied it over his eyes. She smiled and nodded in approval. She walked over to him and put her fingers on either side of his head, one at each temple. "It's not much, but this will help you. As long as you hear, you will see…to a certain extent." she whispered to him and kissed his cheek. She sent chakra into him and heard his gasp. He wobbled a bit, but when he got his bearings, he smirked.

"Not as good as eyesight, but effective. I'm sure the noise will help me find my way around." the three of them nodded and walked out. The shinobi was waiting for them at the entrance to the underground fortress that was the Otogakure Kage tower. The villagers were all tense, and they were all facing one thing. Hinata saw a menacing dark purple aura. It swirled with black and hints of red. Evil. She noticed from the corner of her eye that Sano's aura flared from shock, to sadness, to anger. Another person he cared for had betrayed them? It was then that the intruder spoke.

"Good to see you again…sensei." it was a sickeningly sweet voice. Hinata released her aura jutsu and saw a woman with long red hair. This woman looked a lot like the one that had been brought in by Ino. She heard Sano curse under his breath.

"You're no student of mine, Bellandalie. You sadistic bitch. It was you, wasn't it? You're the one that took Hotaru from us!" laughter erupted from the woman and she cocked her head to the side coquettishly.

"You always had a sense of humor, sensei. Hotaru was Basha-sama's pet. She came willingly. She made an interesting plaything…until her usefulness ran out. She blamed you, Yahiko…you know that right? After you refused Basha-sama's proposal, Basha-sama cast her aside for a new toy. Hotaru cursed your name, night after night. She came to me, asked me to get rid of you. And I almost did. But the body I'd been using was already damaged when I went after you. It was dying and I couldn't stay long. When you fought back, you fatally injured it. Had I stayed in it, I would have died." her eyes were narrowed on Yahiko, who was frowning.

"So you used Hotaru to get to me." he stated plainly. Everyone around watched as their leader lifted his chin proudly. "Hotaru is my sister…and a part of this village. She loved this village once, more than her own life. I made a promise to her, when I took over here…before you and your evil mistress corrupted her. I swore I'd protect the village she loved so much…with my life if it was necessary. I will keep that promise." He lifted his sword and pointed it at her…unnervingly accurate.

"So the blind man thinks he can lead, does he?" there was a wave of gasps as Yahiko's secret was revealed. He smirked, however.

"Better than a bitch that uses other people's bodies to do her dirty work." Hinata noticed the look on the woman's face and didn't need to see her aura to know that pricked her pride. She gave a sadistic smile and looked straight at Hinata.

"Is that so? Then how will your allies feel when you sacrifice one of their own for your precious village?" she snapped her fingers and a brute of a man stepped forward, Naruto in his grasp. His mask was missing, his hair matted with blood, his eyes closed, and his body bare, save the black ANBU pants. Hinata's eyes widened as she looked over the man she loved. He'd been tortured…that much she could tell. Anger simmered in her. She'd felt anger like this before…only twice. Once when she'd come across several people speaking bad about Sakura, and the other when she'd found out what happened to Kiba. She had no doubt this woman was part of that same group.

Her anger translated into her being and, slowly, her henge started dropping. Her eyes became pearlescent once more, her hair was the vivid bluish black/purple. Her hair ornaments started falling out the angrier she became. Energy vibrated through her, contained for now, but begging for release. The more she heard the woman laugh, the longer she stared with wide, innocent eyes at Naruto, the angrier she became. When she finally spoke, her barely leashed anger translated into her voice.

"If you value the lives of your villagers, Yahiko-sama, you will take them into the tower and seal the door behind you." her voice was shaking and she was barely controlling her anger. She heard Sano gasp when he looked at her, but she didn't care. Her normally gentle face was a mask of icy hatred.

Unsure, but feeling the waves of power, Yahiko spoke to several shinobi near him and ordered them to gather the villagers and head into the caverns of the 'kage tower'. Hinata, meanwhile, distracted the woman named Bellandalie. "You think to win so easily…with only one ninja as hostage?" she asked coldly. The woman glanced at her and then had to take a double look. She smirked perversely.

"So…this is the quality from the AMC. I must say I'm impressed. I'd heard their leader was a mousy little thing, but she has good taste in subordinates." Hinata felt her anger pulse through her. Not only had this woman _dared _put her hands on Naruto, but she was insulting Sakura now. She sent out a pulse, checking to see how many people were not blocked by the sealed doors of the Kage's home. There were only three and they were all in front of her. With a vicious smirk, Hinata held up her arms, as if she was about to embrace something.

"I hope you're not afraid of the dark…" she chuckled evilly. Suddenly, everything went black. The light that had filtered through the trees was extinguished, sending the area into complete darkness. Hinata felt safe…at home…here in the darkness. She could be whatever she needed to be here. She could do the things she had to here. Closing her eyes, she sent out another pulse and located the brute holding Naruto. With swift, graceful movement, Hinata lopped the oafs head off. It rolled to the ground and Hinata caught Naruto before he hit the forest floor. She gently kissed his lips and laid him down before preparing to take that woman apart…piece by piece.

* * *

Naruto could hear the sounds of a battle and it peaked his interest. He opened his eyes and couldn't see a thing. All he saw was blackness. His head hurt and he was stiff and sore all over. He remembered being attacked, then waking up to cold water, and then the torture had begun. He'd said nothing, gritting his teeth and glaring at them. He'd controlled Kyuubi…he wouldn't put Hinata in that kind of danger.

He rubbed his eyes, but the blackness remained. So, he did what he always did when he couldn't see in the dark…he drew on Kyuubi's power. His eyes slit as he looked around. There was hardly any light here. The absence of light was a bit overwhelming. However, his fox-like eyes picked up on something shining and bright a bit of a ways from him. He got up and stumbled towards it. The closer he got, the bigger the glow became. When he finally made it close enough, he leaned against what seemed to be a tree and watched.

Before him was the woman who'd tortured him, whom he could barely make out due to the darkness, and Hinata. This surprised him. Why would Hinata be here? Surely she couldn't see any better than he could…could she? He noticed something in her hand and found she was fighting the woman with kunai. He gaped. The other woman had a big ass sword and Hinata was fighting her with kunai! However, he noticed the pain glazing the larger woman's eyes. He watched as they ran at one another. Hinata dodged what sounded like a wide swing and swung her kunai. It didn't seem that the kunai hit, until the woman screamed in pain and dropped the sword.

He watched as Hinata stood, her long hair flowing, her body glowing for some reason. Her eyes were hard with anger and hatred. Naruto had never seen this side of Hinata. It was a little scary, in his opinion. But it was hot too. She wasn't so shy after all. He watched as Hinata put her kunai away and stared at the woman. "You made a mistake, insulting Sakura-sama with your petty remark…" she started. Naruto felt sad. He'd thought she'd gotten mad for what the woman had done to him. His sadness turned to pride at her next statement. "But your most grievous error, was when you put your hands on Naruto-kun." Suddenly, the darkness started swirling, light started to penetrate through the heaviness. He noticed Hinata was chanting something and he watched, amazed, as she walked up to the woman.

"Shadow Jutsu: Death's Embrace." his eyes went wide when Hinata grabbed the woman's head and kissed her. All at once, it seemed the darkness shattered and started swirling into Hinata. Black lines started creeping up the woman's throat and face, her lips turned black and her eyes were filling up with black. Her skin paled at the same time and at that moment, Hinata looked enchanting to him. Seconds later the woman dropped from Hinata's hands, her lifeless body sprawled on the floor. Naruto looked at her with wide eyes, then back up at Hinata, before looking _back _down at the woman.

He noticed Hinata sway and he took off, catching her before she hit the ground. He looked down at her and cupped her cheek. "Hinata-chan…are you alright?" he asked softly, caressing her cheek. She looked up at him, her eyes unfocused.

"N-naruto…kun…" she reached up to touch him, but unconsciousness claimed her first. Her hand dropped onto her chest as her eyes closed. He stared at her, worried, until he noticed her deep, rhythmic breathing. He picked her up and took her towards the kage's place. He pounded on the door and finally shadow stepped inside, right in the middle of a bunch of arguing people. He blinked several times as his ears were suddenly assaulted. Everyone grew quiet as they noticed him there, holding the little emissary.

One man piped up, his voice smug. "I told you the little emissary couldn't beat that crazy woman! Now she has all of us in one place! She'll kill us all!" a murmur went up and Naruto just arched a brow.

"Who said she wasn't dead?" he said in a loud voice, looking at the man. The man pointed at Hinata, his face obviously unconvinced.

"Because it looks like your little emissary is the dead one." Naruto growled and advanced on the man.

"She put her life in danger to protect you and this is the thanks she gets!? If I wasn't holding her, I'd punch your fat, arrogant ass through the roof and let you see how dead the bitch really is!" he growled menacingly. He backed off and looked around. "Where's Sano-sama and Yahiko-sama?" he asked irritably. Everyone in the room dazedly pointed down a hall and Naruto huffed, walking that way. When he got there, it was to see several people surrounding a few.

"You never told us you were blind, Yahiko! You can't be the leader if you're blind! You can't protect yourself, much less the village!" one man argued adamantly. Several people agreed. One woman rushed to Yahiko's side and defended him.

"Will you stop thinking about yourselves for once and think about the village as a whole!? We all know Yahiko's he best choice for this village! You're just thinking of putting yourselves in his place! Tell me, do any of you know anything about how the village works? How to boost our economy? How to provide the village with food? NO! It was Yahiko and Sano that came up with the ideas. It was Yahiko that went out, at the risk of his life, and secured us food, alliances, trade, craftsmen…_he _did that. _He _gave our village hope again. Yahiko…not Matsuo or Gonmaru or Higaki…Yahiko did it. He has risked his life to ensure our future and now you'll turn on him just as assuredly as Orochimaru turned on us!" she spat the name and Naruto noticed that several of the people were nodding and murmuring. It was then that Naruto spoke up.

"Well, I don't know much about him, but he sure seemed to impress Kumorino-sama, and she's the emissary from the AMC. An alliance with them ensures medical advancements, access to any number of medics for missions, and access to the knowledge held by the AMC. If he's been able to impress one of their higher ups, that should say a lot about him, blind or no." Naruto smiled a big, friendly smile as everyone looked back at him. Yahiko smiled, until a noise showed him Hinata's condition.

"Is Kumorino-san alright? What's wrong? Why isn't she standing or speaking?" this seemed to shock several people. He could tell that much about the woman…blind? Naruto chuckled and scratched the back of his head as he held her close to him.

"Well, she kinda used up a lot of energy. She got really pissed at that woman for uh, insulting Sakura-sama, and yeah…that's it…" he was blushing and his embarrassment showed in his voice, because Yahiko smirked.

"Take good care of her, Kitsune-san." Naruto blushed more and cursed when he remembered that the woman had taken his mask.

"Dammit…I wish I had my mask…" he grumbled as Yahiko gave him directions to Oto's guest rooms. Naruto nodded and took off, taking Hinata to the guest rooms. He had a lot of things he wanted to talk to her about.

* * *

Hinata groaned and turned to her side. She always felt like shit after using Death's Embrace. It would take a long time for her to recover from this. She'd be sensitive to light for a while and sore for almost as long. She opened her eyes and found that only a dimly lit lamp was on. What a relief…

She felt the bed shift beside her and turned to find Naruto lying there, his face lax in sleep. She turned bright red and stared at him. She was in bed…with Naruto…her stomach was doing backflips and she felt she'd pass out. His eyes suddenly slid open and her pale silver eyes met his bright azure ones. He smiled sleepily and stretched before addressing her. "Ohayo, Hinata-chan." he said sweetly before cuddling up to her. She gasped and looked down at him. "Hinata-chan…did you know you talk in your sleep?" he asked innocently. She was mortified…what had she said to him!?

His face suddenly turned serious and he stopped teasing her. "Hinata-chan, you're not worthless. I don't care what your father thinks. You're smart, kind, funny, slightly intimidating after such a display of power, and beautiful. What's not to love about you?" he nuzzled her and she just stared at him, amazed. He really thought all that about her? Suddenly, he gave her a hot look and climbed on top of her. "And if you'd told me how you felt earlier, I'd have been more than willing to comply." his voice was low and husky. She turned even redder. Dear gods, she'd said something and now he was coming on to her.

She couldn't even think of what to say. How could she? She'd obviously confessed to him in her sleep and he wasn't likely to forget it, no matter what she said now. She finally decided for the truth. "N-naruto-kun I…uh, I…" she floundered, unable to form a complete sentence. He just chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. When their lips touched, it was like a lightening storm striking. She moaned against his lips and cupped his face in her hands. He was so gentle with her it made her heart melt.

He lifted his head after a few minutes of kissing, his breathing accelerated. Hers was heavy as well as she stared up at him. She felt him rubbing against her in several places…mainly their hips and thighs, but that was something else altogether. She stared up at him, unsure of what to do. From what he'd said a few moments ago, he'd seen her use the eclipse technique AND Death's Embrace. She bit her lip and looked up at him slightly. "N-Naruto-kun…did…did you see…w-what I did?" she asked, her entire being screaming nervous. He smirked and ran his hand up her thigh, making her gasp and her eyes go wide. He laid on top of her, his voice husky as he stared at her through hooded eyes.

"Yeah, I did." horror lit her face until he nuzzled her neck, making her gasp. His next words made her moan. "It was the hottest thing I'd ever seen. I never knew you were so powerful, Hina-chan. I think it's sexy to have all that power and control under me…to be able to make that control waiver…" he murmured and licked her neck, making her gasp and arch against him. He chuckled and ran his other hand up her waist, to her breasts. He brushed his thumb over her nipple and smiled when she gasped.

"Hinata-chan…I've been wanting to get to know you for a while. After Sakura told me flat out that there was no chance of anything between us, I buried myself in my work to forget the pain of my first love rejecting me. But then…I started noticing you standing there, in the shadows, encouraging me to do my best. It really helped me when I didn't think I could go on." he licked the side of her face from chin to ear. As he did, he started peeling off her clothes. She allowed him, wanting to see where he was taking this.

He sat up and slowly removed her clothes until she was naked beneath him. He groaned and leaned down, taking one nipple into his mouth. She gave a light feminine squeak and held him to her, cooing at him. He chuckled and rubbed the outside of her thighs as he knelt between them, his stomach on her femininity. He could feel her head and her hands slowly started pulling on his sleeping shirt. She sat up and let her take that from him and he started pushing his sleeping pants and boxers off. When they hit the floor, he laid himself on top of her again, his stomach pressed against her heat again. She groaned and urged him on. He purred against her breast and used his hands to push her legs further apart.

He smirked when she jumped and dug her fingers into the flesh of his back when he touched her for the first time. His fingers were gentle as he readied her for what was to come. She made soft moans, turning him on even more. He'd never known she'd be so responsive. He smiled against her and rubbed his face against her breasts. She cooed at him again and it went through him like an aphrodisiac. He licked her nipple and then started licking a path from her breast to her navel, and lower. He looked up and saw her blush, the shock in her eyes, as he shoulder his way between her legs. She was about to tell him not to do that, when he lightly tongued her clit.

She clenched her hands in his hair and arched against him, surprised at the sensations she was feeling. She'd never felt such things before. He chuckled, making her sigh in pleasure. He lightly played with her, listening for the things she liked and really liked. He chuckled when she pulled on his hair, wanting him to crawl back up her body. He did, and found her clutching at him. It was like she was afraid of something. It struck him then that, as shy as Hinata was, this was probably the first time she'd ever been this intimate with anyone. He smiled down at her and kissed her, making her gasp as she tasted herself on his lips. He chuckled wickedly and slowly inserted a finger inside her while he kept her mind occupied with his lips.

It seemed to be working, because he got a second finger into her with only a small gasp to indicate her discomfort. He set about preparing for her, even going as far as licking her clit while his fingers worked inside her. He could hear her pants and gasps, watched her hips twitch and jerk…it was amazing to him that such a shy woman was so wantonly responsive. He groaned when he felt her muscles tighten around his fingers and he pulled them away, positioning himself above her. He put his finger on her clit and rubbed, watching her eyes flicker in ecstasy. While she was still high on her release, he gently nudged her opening with his manhood.

He noticed her blush even more and arch her back and he decided it was now or never. With one swift push, he was inside her. He heard her choked gasp, saw the tears in her eyes and he laid over her, apologizing to her over and over. He whispered sweet nothing in her ear and promised it would feel better soon. He put his thumb on her clit again and started gently rubbing. He watched as the tears stopped and were replaced with small gasps of pleasure. He felt her arch against him as she came again, her muscles gripping him gently. He bit his lip and started moving against her. She mewled at the pleasure and wrapped her legs around his hips.

He could feel her thighs twitching with each thrust, as if it were encouraging him. He moaned when he felt the pleasure building in him. He reached beneath her and lifted her hips from the bed, gently thrusting into her. He heard her breathless moans, the pleas she made and he felt smug male satisfaction blossom in his chest. She was begging him to do these things to her…no one else. He leaned over her, his arm wrapped around her lower back and the other holding him up. With a groan, he covered her lips with his as he thrust into her over and over. He could feel the heat coiling and knew he wouldn't be able to stave it off this time. However, he wanted her to be fulfilled as well.

He kissed her fiercely and then took her breast into his mouth. He felt her pleasure, as her muscles rippled over him, making him groan. He shifted his hand down so that it was cupping her ass. They both groaned at the feel of it and she yelped when he smacked her ass. It was awkward, but had the desired effect. He gasped and started thrusting into her hard. He smacked her ass again, groaning over and over as he smacked her ass and her inner muscles clenched around him tightly. He looked into her eyes and saw the utter rapture and knew this moment would be forever stuck in his mind. He'd never forget this, no matter what. He stared into her eyes as his thrusts became faster, as he pushed just a little harder.

Without warning, her eyes widened, her mouth gaped and she let out a piercing scream, arching against him. He could feel her muscles drawing him in, one strong pull at a time. It was too strong, too tight…he growled low in his throat as he felt his release wash over him. He buried his face in her neck, her hair…anything that smelled of her at that moment. He thrust until his energy was spent and he carefully lowered their bodies to the bed. He curled up around her and smiled, burying his nose in the hair just behind her ear and falling asleep. Hinata just laid there, her breathing erratic. She'd never felt anything so…raw. She smiled and snuggled back against him happily, falling asleep.

* * *

Back in Konoha, is was raining. Sakura was looking out the window she'd created with Sasuke's body. She smiled as she felt a shift. She knew what that meant. She'd felt the same shift right before Akamaru had come to her and led her to Ino and the injured Kiba. Where Ino had finally confessed her feeling to Kiba, it seemed that Naruto had just realized that Hinata was in love with him. If what Sakura sensed was correct, then it meant they'd told each other and when they came back, they'd be inseparable. Which meant that she'd have to ask Tsunade to reassign Naruto so that he worked with Hinata exclusively.

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "You finally did it Hinata. You found your moment in the light. You don't have to live in the shadows anymore…" she turned back to her desk and took out her tanuki mask. It was time she went and meet with Sai, who'd been sent back with a new prisoner. She had a feeling she'd be getting a messenger hawk very soon.


End file.
